Olympic Games

The modern Olympic Games (French: les Jeux olympiques, JO) are a major international event featuring summer and winter sports in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Games are currently held biennially, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, meaning they each occur every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.

The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The IOC has had to adapt to the varying economic, political, and technological realities of the 20th century. As a result, the Olympics shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allow participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of the mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games.
The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organizing committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Olympic Games. The host city is responsible for organizing and funding a celebration of the Games consistent with the Olympic Charter. The Olympic program, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games, is also determined by the IOC. The celebration of the Games encompass many rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag andtorch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympics in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively.

The Games have grown in scale to the point that nearly every nation is represented. Such growth has created numerous challenges, including boycotts, doping, bribery, andterrorism. Every two years, the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national, and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute a major opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world.

Peace talks

The cards are uncovered, and although not surprised, the noise of the dialogues came laden concerns. At what price we return to explore a formula that many times we stopped at the threshold of a failed state? Although I want peace as any Colombian-who does not want-I do not think the conditions are ripe.

Escalating violence, sowing terror as only argument, and complexities to negotiate with an armed group of drug smeared, must be weighed. Are 31 years of false starts and changes, local and global, that delegitimize negotiating with war criminals who have violated IHL. Peace? With impunity?

Peace can not be at the expense of citizens and democracy.

It would return to the old argument of "illegitimate state", which should give "due to the insurgency" and rebuild their institutions. That way, there will be one of the President's budget Santos when imposing a time limit for a negotiated end to the conflict.

The "roadmap" touches sensitive issues, especially for the field. Perhaps, if he had kept the Democratic Security policy, we could be aiming for a unilateral surrender of the FARC and the ELN, without yielding to the claims of the terrorists.

But today, with an emboldened guerrilla demands and specifications in hand, a generous legal framework and without warranties of truth, justice and reparation, lurking doubts. And in exchange for what? Who says this rural society?

If we had learned from the mistakes of the past, would not the worn path of negotiations, full of traps and vacuous speeches. Or go to neighbors who have kept revolving doors at the borders to terrorists and less smooth positions of other governments against terrorism, when all are signatories to the Treaty of Rome. Enable an approach, ignoring the pain of the victims or sidestepping the issue of drugs, are circumstances which affect the process.

How to understand what is happening? What makes you think the urban-they have never felt front-guerrilla violence that now negotiated peace is possible? -I hope I'm wrong-that, like Sisyphus, we will fall into the abyss.

The fact that the FARC and the ELN have ended up down in the mud of organized crime and drug trafficking, this approach makes unwarranted.

But also fallible and unstable the process and its results less reliable, if we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. We are not extremists, but skeptical.

The important thing is not to negotiate to negotiate, but to know what and when. No negotiations should start without abandon guerrilla takeover target weapons and the combination of all forms of struggle as a strategy.

The FARC and ELN are murderers, kidnappers and extortionists who recruit children, triggered mines, flying people and enriched with mafia money. Still, this society seems willing to hold out, again, the "political solution" and give them a status for their high command, and they alone, leaving the narco as heroes.

Or do all militia-accustomed to crime, drug trafficking and their brotherhood with BACRIM-are to demobilize?.

HIV/AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). During the initial infection a person may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness. This is typically followed by a prolonged period without symptoms. As the illness progresses it interferes more and more with the immune system, making people much more likely to get infections, including opportunistic infections, and tumors that do not usually affect people with working immune systems.

HIV is transmitted primarily via unprotected sexual intercourse (including anal and even oral sex), contaminated blood transfusions and hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding. Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do not transmit HIV. Prevention of HIV infection, primarily through safe sex and needle-exchange programs, is a key strategy to control the spread of the disease. There is no cure or vaccine; however, antiretroviral treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life expectancy. While antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of death and complications from the disease, these medications are expensive and may be associated with side effects.

Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the early twentieth century. AIDS was first recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1981 and its cause—HIV infection—was identified in the early part of the decade.[5] Since its discovery, AIDS has caused nearly 30 million deaths (as of 2009). As of 2010, approximately 34 million people have contracted HIV globally. AIDS is considered a pandemic—a disease outbreak which is present over a large area and is actively spreading.

HIV/AIDS has had a great impact on society, both as an illness and as a source of discrimination. The disease also has significant economic impacts. There are many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS such as the belief that it can be transmitted by casual non-sexual contact. The disease has also become subject to many controversies involving religion.

The hair in exchange for a smile

"When a person is diagnosed with cancer, the first word that comes to mind is 'death', but I want to show that we are full of life." Gladys Montoya.

An atypical campaign, but with a great sense of solidarity, began to weave in Medellin. A group of people started to raise awareness of grief and all the difficulties they have to face a person when, being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, losing your hair. But they did not stay there, drove a great campaign so that other people could donate their healthy hair to make wigs that will help these people cope with their illness.

"The hair attachment means. When I started the process I realized that chemotherapy is something that one can detach. I know people who are donating their hair today, not only contribute to another human being feel better and not worry about how it looks, but also is shedding something that generates addiction. It is a liberating moment, "says Gladys Elena Montoya, a woman who was diagnosed with cancer and is successfully completing treatment.

Gladys, along with another group of people leading this campaign to help those who lose their hair to overcome the complex about their image and face with courage the disease.

Chain of volunteers

But make a hair donation day requires more than just the desire. It is for this reason that a group of professionals voluntarily joined the cause to bring these wigs for free to all who come to need them.

The first step in the chain are volunteers, men and women with long hair and healthy and want to donate. To make the cuts, with the necessary specifications, stylists Alqvimia chain salons offered their talents for free. So, in malls Santafé, Oviedo, Unicentro and El Tesoro, volunteers will receive every Tuesday for the donation.

Finally, Hugo León Look, a fan of beauty, who chairs the foundation "Loving with the heart", is responsible for the development. Hugo Look trains students from the International Academy of Beauty to arm wigs and deliver as quickly as possible to those in need. "For us the greatest reward for our work is a smile," he said Mira.

Haiti Earthquake

 The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicenter near the town of Léogâne (Ouest Department), approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.

By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake; the Haitian government reported that an estimated 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. The government of Haiti also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.

The earthquake caused major damage in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements in the region. Many notable landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed, including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Among those killed were Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Joseph Serge Miot, and opposition leader Micha Gaillard. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, collapsed, killing many, including the Mission's Chief, Hédi Annabi.